The principal of H.W. Smith K-8 School in Syracuse said today she did not inform parents about an alleged sexual assault at the school because it was an "isolated incident" that did not endanger other children.

"If there was something that would put the entire building at risk we would have definitely sent home that letter," Sharon Birnkrant said.

She said the three alleged perpetrators -- who have been charged with misdemeanors in the Nov. 6 incident -- were suspended, so they no longer posed a danger to students. She also said it was still an allegation and she had to be careful to follow due process.

Meanwhile, the Syracuse school district today confirmed tips to The Post-Standard concerning two new disruptions in city schools this week.

The district acknowledged there was a fight at dismissal at H.W. Smith on Tuesday. The fight was between two girls until one of the girl's siblings stepped in and ended up spitting at a teacher. District communications coordinator Michael Henesey said all the students involved were disciplined.

On the same day at Nottingham High School, a teacher was struck in the face and his glasses were broken while he was trying to break up a fight in a stairwell. Henesey said the teacher was struck accidentally.

Syracuse Police Sgt. Tom Connellan said neither fight was reported to police but that the school resource officer at Nottingham was looking into the incident there.

The sexual assault at H.W. Smith was brought into the open at a school board hearing Wednesday night by Heidi Teska, president of the school's parent-teacher organization.

Teska said today that parents should have been notified of the incident, in which three middle-school boys allegedly forced a 12-year-old girl into a boys' room and would not let her out as one of them molested her. Teska placed the blame for the lack of communication on district headquarters, not on Birnkrant.

Superintendent Sharon Contreras was out of town and unavailable for comment today, Henesey said.

Teska told The Post-Standard that she didn't believe teachers had been formally told about the incident either. Birnkrant said she told teachers who were team leaders to share with their team members that "there had been an incident and we were taking care of it."

The principal said the school did not know of the incident until the day after it occurred. On Nov. 6, she said, the girl looked sad and someone asked her if she was OK. She said she was fine. The next morning she told a counselor about the incident.

Birnkrant said she immediately called the head of the district's police contingent, who sent an officer to the school.

She said teachers and sentries are now on heightened alert at the school. Henesey added that only one student at a time is allowed out of the classroom with a bathroom pass.

Birnkrant said that when the school, which is currently in the old Levy School building on Fellows Avenue, moves into its renovated location on Salt Springs Road Jan. 6, it will have many safety and security features, including only single bathrooms for students.

Staff writer Marnie Eisenstadt contributed to this report. Contact Paul Riede at priede@syracuse.com or 470-3260. Follow him on Twitter at @PaulRiede.